Post-card rack.



W. O. KAISER & 0. KLEIN.

v POST GARD RACK. APPLIQATION FILED DEO.21,1910.

Patented July 11,1911.

GDL'UMBIA PMNOGRAPH co., WASHINGTON, n. c. v

WILLIAM O. KAISER AND OSCAR KLEIN, OF BURLINGTON,

IOWA.

POST-CARD RACK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 11, 1911.

Application filed December 21, 1910. Serial No. 598,615.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM O. Kaisnn and OsoAR KLEIN, citizens of the United States, and both residing at Burlington, Des Moines county, State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Post-Card Racks; and we hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in card racks designed for displaying post-cards and the like, and is an improvement upon the racks shown in our Patent N 0. 934,318 of September 14, 1909, and an application filed October 25, 1909, Serial N0. 524,514.

The object of the present invention is to simplify and cheapen the construction of the card-holders; to enable any row of holders, or section of the rack, to be turned by a purchaser, or attendant, independently of other sections, so that a customer can reverse the section of the rack in which he is interested without interfering with the inspection of cards in other sections of the rack by others.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple means for retaining the sections in adjusted position, so that the cards therein will be advantageously displayed.

The complete rack is preferably composed of a series of parallel vertical sections, each section containing a number of superposed card holders, each of which is preferably adapted to contain two sets of cards; and the holders are so constructed that they can be easily attached or detached so that the sections can be easily made of any desired length.

The present invention resides more particularly innthe construction of the in di vidual holders and in the means for mounting and locking each rack section (comprising a series of such holders)-and we will now describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a rack embodying the same.

Figure l is a front view of part of a rack. Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of several holders connected to form a rack section. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 33, Fig. 1. F ig, 4 is a plan view of a blank for the bottom and end parts of a holder prior to bending. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View on line 55, Fig. 1.

Each card holder in the present invention is composed of two end pieces 1, 1, a bottom bar 1, and a top bar 2. The bottom piece 1 is preferably formed of sheet metal and has return bend flanges 1 on its sides; and the end pieces 1 are preferably formed integral with the bottom piece 1 but bent up at right angles thereto; said end pieces 1 are also preferably tapered outwardly from bottom to top and are provided on their opposite sides with flanges 1 which are bent inwardly at right angles to the ends 1, see Fig. l. The upper ends of the end pieces are tapered as shown at 1 above the flanges to permit the cards being easily slipped into position behind the flanges 1. The end pieces may have vertical crimps or corrugations as at 1 to stiffen them, and also have vertical slots 1 near their upper ends; and above the tapered portions 1 they are provided with short inwardly turned flanges 1 which facilitate the insertion of the postcards into the holder behind the flanges 1 The top bar 2 is also formed of a piece of sheet metal bent longitudinally upon itself, see Fig. 5, and its sides again bent outwardly to form flanges 2 at the top of the bar; and it is providedat its ends with ears 2 which are adapted to be inserted through the openings I in the end members 1, and then bent over and against the end members as shown in Fig. 2, thereby securely locking the bar 2 to the end members 1 and forming with them and bar 1 a rigid rectangular frame adapted to recei e and retain two oppositely facing sets of cards; the cards being held between the flanges 1 and separated at top by the member 2, and resting upon the bot tom bar 1. Any number of such holders may be connected together to form a section of the main rack, by sliding the top flange 2 of one rack endwise into engagement with the oppositely bent portions of the flanges 1 of another rack, as indicated in Fig. 2; substantially asv described and shown in our aforesaid patent. In practice six or more holders would be connected in this manner to form one vertical section of the complete rack. The uppermost holder may be con nected to a suspending device, as in our aforesaid patent, and application; but, in accordance with the present invention, we prefer to rivet a plate 3 centrally to the top bar 2 of the uppermost holder, said plate being provided with lugs 3 resting upon the flanges 2 of said top bar so as to prevent lateral oscillation of the holder relative to the plate. The plate 3 has a shank 3, of any suitable construction, which is rotatori' ally connected to a suspending bar a of the main rack frame which may be of any suit able material, said main frame being composed of the top bar 4, and bottom bar et connected by side bars or rods 4 Ks shown the suspending bar at is made of sheet metal bent in U-shape, and a cross piece P is secured between the depending flanges of the supporting bar to form an additional bearing for the shank 3. To the bottom piece 1 of the lowermost holder in the section we attach a pin 5, which depends through an opening 6 in the bottom bar 4? of the main rack frame, in which the sections are hung. The pin 5 has a handle 5 on its lower end by which it can be readily turned, and a spring 5 is interposed between handle 5 and the bottom bar 4 of the frame; this spring normally tending (in addition to the weight of the holders) to hold the section down upon the bottom bar.

A washer 5 is strung on the pin 5 between the bottom piece 1 of the holder and the bottom bar 4 of the rack frame; and this washer has two diametrically opposite portions down-turned, as shown at 5, these downturned portions being adapted to embrace between them the edges of the bottom bar r, see Fig. 3, and prevent the section casually turning on the bar; but by grasping the handle 5 and turning same the down-turned ortions 5 of the washer will act as cams and cause the holder to ride up upon the bar 4; until the section is turned half way around, when it will drop again; the flanges 5 of the washer act as cams to raise the sec tion because they are rounded at their ends, owing to the shape of the washer, and they also serve as-the means to lock the sections in position when adjusted so that the holders are parallel with the bar 4". A number of these sections can be arranged side by side within one main frame; but each section can be turned independently of the others, and thus several customers can inspect the cards in the rack simultaneously, and the turning of one section will not interfere with a cnstomer examining cards in another section. So far as the independent turning of and locking devices for the rack sections is concerned the individual holders might be of the construction shown in our aforesaid patent or application; and it is also obvious that the novel holders shown in the present application could be used in connection with the devices for simultaneously turning the sections of the rack shown in our said patent and application.

hat we claim is:

In combination with a card holder, a frame supporting the holder, means pivoting the upper end of the holder in the frame, a pin connected to the lower side of the holder and passing through the bottom bar of the frame, a cam device connected to said pin between the holder and bar, and adapted to cause the frame to rise when turned out of alinement with the bottom bar of the frame, and a finger piece or handlehon the lower end of the pin for turning the frame.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we afiix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM O. KAISER. OSCAR KLEIN.

In presence of- ANNA M. KAISER, HERBERT O. BAOHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. C. 

